1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mold frame, a backlight assembly and a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus having the mold frame, and more particularly to a mold frame having a wire for supplying electric power to a lamp, a backlight assembly and an LCD apparatus having the mold frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most LCD apparatuses are non-emissive displays that display images by controlling light from an external light source. Thus, most LCD devices need to have a light source, such as a backlight assembly, for supplying light to an LCD panel. The backlight assembly is divided into an edge type backlight assembly and a direct illumination type backlight assembly.
In the edge type backlight assembly, a lamp unit is typically installed on a side of a light guide plate (LGP). The lamp unit includes a lamp emitting light, a lamp holder holding opposite end portions of the lamp and a reflection plate covering the lamp and reflecting the light emitted from the lamp to the LGP.
The edge type backlight assembly is typically used with a small LCD apparatus such as a monitor for a laptop computer and a monitor for a desktop computer. The edge type backlight assembly has various advantages such as high uniformity of light, a long life and so on.
The development of the direct illumination type backlight assembly has been strongly influenced by the advent and development of large-screen LCD apparatuses. In the direct illumination type backlight assembly, a plurality of lamps are disposed under a diffusion plate and directly emit light toward the surface of the LCD panel.
The direct illumination type backlight assembly uses the available light more efficiently than the edge type backlight assembly. Therefore, the direct illumination type backlight assembly is generally used in a large-screen LCD apparatus that demands high brightness.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional direct illumination type LCD apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 1, the direct illumination type LCD apparatus 100 includes an LCD panel assembly 110 and a backlight assembly 120 providing light to the LCD panel assembly 110.
The LCD panel assembly 110 includes an LCD panel 111 having a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate 111a, a color filter substrate 111b and liquid crystal (not shown). Also, the LCD panel assembly 110 includes a data printed circuit board (PCB) 115, a gate PCB, a data tape carrier package (TCP) 113 and a gate TCP 112.
The backlight assembly 120 includes a lamp unit 121 emitting a first light, a reflection plate 123 reflecting the first light, a light controller 122 diffusing the first light to emit a second light having a uniform brightness, and a bottom chassis 125 that receives the lamp unit 121, the reflection plate 123, and the light controller 122. The light controller 122 includes a diffusion plate 122a, a diffusion sheet 122b disposed on the diffusion plate 122a, a lower prism sheet 122c on the diffusion sheet 122b, an upper prism sheet 122d on the lower prism sheet 122c and a protection sheet 122e on the upper prism sheet 122d. 
The bottom chassis 125 has the shape of rectangular box with an open surface, or a rectangular box that is open on one side to provide a receiving space of a predetermined depth. The reflection plate 123 is placed in the receiving space and the lamp unit 121 is disposed parallel to each other on the reflection plate 123. The light controller 122 is disposed on the lamp unit 121 such that each member 122a through 122e of the light controller 122 is separated from the lamp unit 121 by a predetermined distance.
The lamp unit 121 has at least one lamp 121a, lamp holders 121b respectively located at first and second ends of each lamp 121a, a first electrode wire 121c coupled to the first end, and a second electrode wire 121d coupled to the second end. Power of a first level (“a first power) is supplied to the first electrode wire 121c of each lamp 121, and power of a second level (“a second power”) is supplied to the second electrode wire 121d of each lamp 121. The first and second electrode wires 121c and 121d are connected to an electric power supply (not shown) generating the first and second electric powers.
When each of the first and second electrode wires 121c and 121d are connected to the electric power supply, one of the first and second electrode wire 121c and 121d should be extended so that it is close to the other electrode wire. In the example of FIG. 1, the second electrode wire 121d receiving an electric power lower than that of the first electrode wire 121c is extended to the first electrode wire 121c. 
The second electrode wire 121d is disposed under the reflection plate 123 in order to prevent it from interfering with the image display achieved by the direct illumination type LCD apparatus 100. A receiving space is disposed between the reflection plate 123 and the bottom chassis 125 to receive the second electrode wire 121d. 
A middle chassis 130 is disposed on the light controller 122, and the LCD panel 111 is disposed on the middle chassis 130. Then, a top chassis 140 is disposed on the LCD panel 111 and combined with the bottom chassis 125, sandwiching all the components between them. Accordingly, the direct illumination type LCD apparatus 100 is completely assembled.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the backlight assemblies and the LCD apparatuses include exposed electrode wires located at opposite ends of the lamp(s). Since the shape and size of the backlight assemblies must accommodate these electrode wires, these electrode wires act as a hurdle to a more compact backlight assembly design. Thus, a backlight assembly that does not include exposed electrodes at both ends of the lamp(s) is desired.